OTTAWA -- Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence took part in a ceremony this morning on Victoria Island to mark the beginning of an indefinite hunger strike demanding justice and respect for her people and for all First Nations in Canada.

Yesterday, at a press conference on Parliament Hill, Chief Spence told reporters: "I am willing to die for my people because the pain is too much and it's time for the government to realize what it's doing to us."

The Attawapiskat Chief was greeted on Parliament Hill by supporters and well wishers, including Charlie Angus, the NDP Member of Parliament for the northern Ontario riding that includes Attawapiskat.

The hunger strike action coincides with a renewed movement for Indigenous rights across the country, sparked by opposition to provisions in the Conservative government's omnibus Bill C-45 which was passed last week.

Attawapiskat, last year, became a symbol of the poverty endured by many First Nations communities across Canada when shockingly poor housing conditions were revealed.

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A boisterous rally and march numbering an estimated 1,500 took to the streets of Edmonton as part of more than a dozen rallies marking the December 10 'Idle No More' national day of action and solidarity.